And finally the first of July has arrived. And the protected electricity market (after gas) is over: more than 4.5 million electricity users who have never switched to the free market are being transferred to the so-called Gradual Protection service. But what is it? What changes for users? Do we stay with the same operator? And what should an involved user do?
The Gradual Protection Service is a system that will guarantee the continuity of supply with a specific supplier and with specific economic conditions. Therefore, if by July 1, 2024, a supplier has not yet been chosen on the free market, you will not be left without electricity supply. The supplier selected through the Tutele Graduali service will take care of selling electricity to interested domestic customers.
The supplier was selected by ARERA (the authority of electrical service) through an auction. Italy has been divided into twenty-six zones and for each zone a supplier has been defined, winner of the auction, who will take care of the supply with the Gradual Protection Service. Based on the outcome of the auctions, the Authority is defining equal economic conditions for all of Italy, regardless of the area and the supplier who won in the area itself. In this way equal treatment will be guaranteed to all domestic customers involved in the change.
With respect to excise duties, VAT and transport costs, the economic conditions are identical to those applied to all domestic customers. However, the price applied for that part of the bill called “Energy material cost” changes. The cost per consumption, i.e. the raw material component (the price applied to the pure consumption of luceto be clear) will be a variable price from month to month, indexed to the wholesale market price (the so-called PUN, single national price).
The fixed marketing fee (which is generally decided by the supplier) will be defined by the Authority and will be identical at a national level. This fee will be equal to the average of the fixed fees that were proposed by the providers during the auction, taking into account the number of customers assigned area by area. Arera will update the fixed marketing fee every twelve months. In short, those who remain in the Gradual Protection Service will do well to check, from time to time, the convenience of the economic conditions applied.
The Gradual Protection Service has an “expiration” date. Unlike the protected market, those who enter into supply with the Gradual Protection Service will still have to choose an offer from the free market within three years at the most. At least starting from the six months before the Gradual Protection Service expires, the local supplier must inform the customer of this expiration, indicating that they can choose another supplier in the free market or remain with the same supplier, but still with a free market offer.
Obviously it is not mandatory to wait three years to switch to free market: even if you enter the Gradual Protection Service it is always possible, at any time, to change supplier and enter the free market, exactly as currently happens for the protected market.
Is there a way to save on your bill? As of today, the best strategy is to evaluate the offers at an indexed (variable) rate, in order to take advantage of the trend in wholesale market prices and save during periods when energy demand drops.
To have really lighter electricity and gas bills, finding a cheaper offer and supplier is certainly a good idea.
beginning, but often it is not enough. It is also essential to change our daily habits within the walls of the house:
- lower the heating by one degree, or increase the air conditioning temperature;
- replace old light bulbs with LED ones;
- make better use of our appliances;
- adopt passive cooking (with the heat off);
- unplug all standby sockets.
Consolidated advice that can produce even more effects (benefits) than changing suppliers.
